AquacultureAquaculture

To responsibly and sustainably develop aquaculture to achieve socio-economic benefits for all Namibians, and to secure environmental sustainability.

Establishment of Directorate

The Directorate of Aquaculture under the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources was established in 2003. There is legal framework in place namely: Aquaculture policy (2001), Aquaculture Act (2002) and Aquaculture Strategic Plan (2004). This legislation ensures that the sector is managed sustainably.

What Is Aquaculture?

Aquaculture is defined as the cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish and shellfish or of plants, such as seaweed, in a controlled and sometimes enclosed body of water. On a technical level, aquaculture is defined in Namibia 's Aquaculture Act (no. 18 of 2002) as the "farming and ranching of aquatic organisms". Both terms include the use of salty, fresh or brackish water.

There are two forms of aquaculture, which we differentiated with respect to their location, and by the nature of the type of aquaculture being practiced. These are "marine aquaculture" and " inland aquaculture".